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Monday, September 30, 2013

Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.

Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other.

This was one gripping story! To give you an idea of
what the book is like: take a bit of The Hunger Games, add a large part of Lord
of the Flies, and then throw in lots more gore and violence and you’ll have an
approximation.

I’m going to start off by saying this is probably
not a book for everyone. It is fast-paced and cleverly written, but it is also
extremely graphic with its gore. Since the “foe” in the story is a super-worm
parasite, you can imagine just how gross it can get to be. If you don’t have a
queasy stomach, then it will keep you fascinated page after page.

The tension is so well established that once you
start reading it’s hard to stop. I enjoyed the way the author was able to
incorporate each character’s back-stories without slowing down the action too
much and without an information dump. The vividness of the fear the characters
feel really gets under the reader’s skin. I found myself wincing and twitching
more and more as the novel progressed. It’s one of those books that are truly
disturbing. The only thing I would have liked to have been written better was
the ending. It felt too abrupt for the rest of the story.

If you are looking for something to give you
nightmares, then this one is a good choice.

This week’s musing asks…What do you do when life gets in the way, and you just don’t have much time to read? Do you complain? Do you accept it? Do you do everything in your power to make time to read? Share your thoughts!

I always make time to read. No matter what. Since I carry a book with me everywhere, I am ready to read at any time of day, at any moment. And I always schedule some reading time before going to sleep. I just feel off-kilter if I don't read throughout the day.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Are “best” and “favorite” the same thing? If someone asked you “What’s the best book you ever read?” would the answer be the same as for “What’s your favorite?”

Not necessarily. Many of my favorite reads are not the best, most well-written books on the planet, but I've connected with them in an emotional level that has nothing to do with how they rate. My favorite book, however, is Crime and Punishment, one I do think is one of the best books written, so it can go both ways.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…• Describe one of your reading habits.• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!Last night, I started reading Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent. It is a nonfictional account of a woman committing herself to three different psych wards to see just how they function and if they are, in fact, effective at helping people. So far it is a fascinating read. Also very, very frightening.

Friday, September 20, 2013

The year is 1927. As rains swell the Mississippi, the mighty river threatens to burst its banks and engulf all in its path, including federal revenue agent Ted Ingersoll and his partner, Ham Johnson. Arriving in the tiny hamlet of Hobnob, Mississippi, to investigate the disappearance of two fellow agents on the trail of a local bootlegger, they unexpectedly find an abandoned baby boy at a crime scene.

An orphan raised by nuns, Ingersoll is determined to find the infant a home, a search that leads him to Dixie Clay Holliver. A lonely woman married too young to a charming and sometimes violent philanderer, Dixie Clay has lost her only child to illness and is powerless to resist this second chance at motherhood. From the moment they meet, Ingersoll and Dixie Clay are drawn to each other. He has no idea that she's the best bootlegger in the county and may be connected to the missing agents. And while he seems kind and gentle, Dixie Clay knows he is the enemy and must not be trusted.

Then a deadly new peril arises, endangering them all. A saboteur, hired by rich New Orleans bankers eager to protect their city, is planning to dynamite the levee and flood Hobnob, where the river bends precariously. Now, with time running out, Ingersoll, Ham, and Dixie Clay must make desperate choices, choices that will radically transform their lives-if they survive.

This was an interesting historical novel that did a
good job of transporting the reader to another era, but had plot issues that
didn’t quite allow it to realize its full potential.

The story takes place in the south, as a flood
threatens to destroy an entire town. Sinceit takes place during the Prohibition, there is the added mystery behind
the whole bootlegging business, making it a very interesting read. The author
obviously did substantial research, since there are very detailed descriptions
of the whole process, but paced in a manner that they do not feel boring or too
slow for the rest of the book.

The characters were interesting, as well. Dixie
Clay, the female protagonist, is definite heroine material with the substantial
amount of intelligence and courage to make us want to read about her.
Ingersoll, the male protagonist, also makes us want to know more about him, and
that’s one of the book’s faults, because we really do not get a full enough
picture of him. This causes for the romance that arises between the two
protagonists to feel “off”. It comes a little out of nowhere and feels forced
all the way through. I think if the author had given us some further character
development, it would have felt more organic.

It is an interesting book, so I don’t want to put
anyone off reading it. Just keep in mind that it does have some faults, but it
also has some lovely writing.

What were some of your favorite picture books as a kid? If you have kids, what are your favorites to read to them?

One of my favorite ones, which I can't seem to find anywhere in English, was about a unicorn and a little girl. The unicorn turns himself into a narwhal to help her cross the ocean. I don't remember much about it, but I used to absolutely love it. I also had a picture book about a whale that lived in a girl's fountain. It was published by the Greenpeace foundation. Can you tell I had a thing about whales?

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

If there’s one thing Gavin Stokes knows, it’s that something unimaginably dangerous has returned to the world. A mad dog runs amok, a mermaid floats in the bay, and a wild beast stalks the countryside. He and others make the same strange claim: magic has returned. All signs point to it.

Now, Gavin’s aunt has disappeared. A young girl who’s been accused of murder vanishes from a locked cell. She is at large somewhere in a vast wilderness. Meanwhile, a desolate child leaves the home that has kept her safe all her life and strikes out into the unknown. And a mother, half mad with grief for her lost son, sets off to find him.

There is a place where all their journeys meet. But someone is watching the roads . . .

This is the second part of the fantasy story that
began with Advent, and I was surprised to find, it was even better than the
first book.

I love books that have different storylines than
join at the end, and this book had a large group of them. The author paced the
story-lines very well, never making us feel bored and never forcing us to ask
why we were reading a particular scene. For a book that is relatively long,
this is an impressive thing.

The writing has the same Gothic fantasy-feel as the
first one, making it stand out from many of the books out there at the moment.
The author has a way of writing particular moments and images that are truly
frightening, something that had not been quite as clear in the first book as in
this one. He has quite a way of creating terrifying scenes that are wholly
original.

The only thing that I found frustrating was the end.
I’m not going to reveal anything, but the last few pages felt rushed and pulled
out of nowhere. Since I read the ARC version, I really hope that those pages
are removed or edited in a way that makes them feel more organic to the rest of
the story.

All in all, a good read, though you do have to have
read the first book to be able to understand this one.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Musing Mondays• Describe one of your reading habits.• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!
I haven't talked much about my upcoming YA book, and I thought today was the perfect day to do so, mainly because it is raining where I am and gloomy, and my book is a Victorian Gothic. The book, which is called THE ROSE MASTER, takes place in a manor in Victorian England. The main character, Anne, is a maid who is sent to work there, in that isolated home, where there are only a handful of other servants. She doesn't even know who the house's master is....and I'm not going to tell you and give it all away.
The novel will be published in the summer of 2014, so I will keep you all up to date!
You can visit my official website here.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Hamburg, 1946. Thousands remain displaced in what is now the British Occupied Zone. Charged with overseeing the rebuilding of this devastated city and the de-Nazification of its defeated people, Colonel Lewis Morgan is requisitioned a fine house on the banks of the Elbe, where he will be joined by his grieving wife, Rachael, and only remaining son, Edmund.

But rather than force its owners, a German widower and his traumatized daughter, to leave their home, Lewis insists that the two families live together. In this charged and claustrophobic atmosphere all must confront their true selves as enmity and grief give way to passion and betrayal.

The Aftermath is a stunning novel about our fiercest loyalties, our deepest desires and the transformative power of forgiveness.

I don’t usually read books set during or right after
World War II because they tend to depress me, but this one seemed so intriguing
that I just had to pick it up and I’m glad I did.

I love the premise of it. A British colonel and his
family relocate to Germany to help rebuild the country and are given a manor in
which to live. This manor is occupied by a German family who the colonel feels
too guilty forcing them to leave. The two families, British and German, move in
together. This makes for a really compelling read, since both families have
prejudice issues with the other. We get to see both sides of that difficult
time in history.

The dialogue, in particular, caught my attention. It
is very well written, with a flow to it that makes it easy to read, even when
there are German words included. The historical details are prevalent, though
not becoming overwhelming or slowing the action down.

There is a tremendous amount of thought and feeling
into this book’s every page. It is not a long book, especially for a historical
one, but it leaves a lot to think about. If you love historical dramas, then
this one is a great choice.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"She didn’t look for a rainbow. No, she no longer hoped, merely waited for the rain, and when it came falling harder than ever, as if it’d stored up its strength in the interval, she took a bitter comfort in being right."

Monday, September 9, 2013

• Describe one of your reading habits.• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!I'm reading The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook. It is a historical novel taking place right after World War II ended. It is about a British Colonel and his family going to live in Germany to help with the rebuilding, and they end up occupying a house that belongs to a German man and his family. It is interesting to see the way the two families adjust to one another, and help each other with their various prejudice issues.

It begins with a call in the middle of snowy February evening. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone across the hall. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping "haunted souls" find peace. And yet, something in Sylvie senses that this call is different than the rest, especially when they are lured to the old church on the outskirts of town. Once there, her parents disappear, one after the other, behind the church's red door, leaving Sylvie alone in the car. Not long after, she drifts off to sleep only to wake to the sound of gunfire.

Nearly a year later, we meet Sylvie again struggling with the loss of her parents, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened the previous winter.

As the story moves back and forth in time, through the years leading up to the crime and the months following, the ever inquisitive and tender-hearted Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years.

This was a very entertaining book, a great literary
read with a touch of mystery to keep readers turning the pages.

The book’s structure, I think, was cleverly done,
with chapters moving backwards and forwards in time. This gives us access to
certain events while keeping some other ones hidden, creating in this way even
more tension in the narrative. This technique also doesn’t allow us to become
too complacent with the storyline, which works very well in a novel like this
where suspense is a key element.

The main character, Sylvie, is nicely written, as is
her sister Rose. I also enjoyed how their parents were presented. Since they
are seen through Sylvie’s eyes, we don’t really know if they are accurately
represented. We start getting little clues from other characters, but they don’t
really come to life until late in the story, adding to the tension.

The writing itself is clear, with a unique voice
that I found refreshing in a suspenseful novel such as this one. The topic is
not necessarily the most groundbreaking, but the way it is handled makes all
the difference.

I do recommend this one to all lovers ofliterary novels that have a touch of
psychological mystery.

Monday, September 2, 2013

What is your favorite part of a review?
The kind of reviews that I prefer are the ones that are not necessarily all positive or all negative, but which give me an honest, balanced view of the book. I want to read about what kind of impression the book leaves, or if it's topic is unique. And, most of all, I want to see if the reviewer recommends the book to other people.